Monster deals in clubs

$15+ Free clubs aren’t hard to find—just check our listings—and there are no tickets for most events, per se. What you really want to know is (a) how to pay less to get into the ones that do charge, and (b) how to get in at all.

Start with Rhythmism’s local party roster, which focuses mostly on house, techno and trance artists, and is searchable by genre or date. (Because business tends to be slower Sunday through Wednesday, big-cheese clubs often offer reduced door prices on those nights.) On the site (rhythmism.com), we found that Club Duvet, for example, lets ladies in free before midnight and for $20 to $25 after (on Saturdays); guys are also reduced to $20 to $25 on the John Nova guest list. Made Event (madeevent.com), meanwhile, pushes reduced-price tickets (ranging from $20 to $45) and promotional hookups for boldfaced DJs, all via ticketweb.com. (E.g., Paul van Dyk tix for a Roseland Ballroom performance on Friday 26 are $45. Cheap! Or Armin van Buuren at Pacha on November 9 for $35. Criminal!) Caveat: The site charges a 5 percent service fee plus $1.25 for printable PDFs or $5.95 and up for shipping and handling.

Guest-list sign-ups, like China Club’s free, $10 and $15 spots (available by calling 212-398-3800), are also worth hitting, but are dicier. “Guest lists bring people to the club thinking they’re going to get in,” says Omar, a promoter for Home and the Grand. “But the bouncers can take one look at you and decide there are others who are better-looking or are willing to spend more to get in. Just as bouncers can say the entrance is $20 for one person and $30 for another.”

Share your secrets! We've told you everything we know about getting great deals on clubs tickets, but we know you have your own schemes. Leave your own tips in the Comments box below.